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Love thy Neighbor - Romans 13
Love thy Neighbor - Romans 13
The command to love your neighbor as yourself is said by Jesus to be the ‘second greatest’, following love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Such command not only was given in the law of Moses, it was commanded many times in the New Testament.
Paul writes that the exercising of such love is a duty that is never itself fulfilled, no matter how much we do it we yet ‘owe it’. As Origen put it, “Let your only debt that is unpaid be that of love—a debt which you should always be attempting to discharge in full, but will never succeed in discharging.”
Paul also states that such is itself the fulfilling of ‘the law’ (both here in Romans 13 and again in Gal. 5:13-14). Paul then refers to four points of the law that forbid murder, adultery, stealing, and coveting. Such laws are given to restrain the ungodly (cp. 1 Tim. 1:8-10).
YET, this positive involves the fulfillment of a negative: Do NOT murder, steal, commit adultery, or covet. The teaching of Jesus is not just DO NOT, but goes the next step to actively doing GOOD. Instead of murder, you assist, help, and nurture (Rom. 12:17-21). Instead of adultery, you treat their marriage as sacred and thus you assist, help, and nurture them in THAT relationship (Heb. 13:5; Eph. 5:23ff). Instead of stealing, you engage in your own labor in order that you might have to GIVE to those in need (cp. Eph. 4:28). In stead of coveting, you desire that they prosper in both body and soul (cp. 3 John vs 3).
Loving your neighbor is more than refraining from hurtful acts against them, it is the active doing good unto them. How loving are you?
Hugh DeLong
